Etta James – At Last Lyrics via RomanticLyrics.com
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you

And I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last…Do you have songs that make you stop and smile or perhaps, cry? When the mind is restless, nerves frayed, and the body tired, a little music or perhaps a lot of great music helps us settle back into our groove again. Etta James gave us great music. Etta was a dynamic and powerful singer who didn’t hesitate to speak her mind when she saw fit. She was as passionate about her tumultuous life as she was about her music, and in her autobiography, “Rage to Survive,” she shared parts of her darkest hours. Even though she started her career singing gospel songs in church, her musical range covered a number of genres from rhythm & blues, to jazz and pop. Etta left this world on Friday; leukemia-related complications took her from us all. She was 73 years old. RIP Etta…

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato

Last night, I watched the Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris, starring Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni and Marion Cotillard. It’s a complex story about a young couple, who travel to Paris, and have their lives transformed; especially the man who happens to be a writer. No spoilers here. What I loved about the movie, aside from all the great artists/creatives who show up, was the music – Let’s Do It by Cole Porter, performed at one of the parties in Paris. Enjoy Ella’s version above. A little nostalgia goes a long way…

“Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite.” Thomas Carlyle

Sometimes, words don’t do justice to our articulation of the beauty of a musical piece. We just have to listen to it and delve deep into the magic. I love this piece… Jazz guitarist, Ernest Ranglin’s music will calm your heart and soothe your soul… so divine. I believe Marsha of Inside Journeys introduced me to this one.. Enjoy! More below. 😎

“A note of music gains significance from the silence on either side.” Anne Morrow Lindberg

Yeh Dooriyan translated lyrics via Superhindi.com
These distances
The distance of paths
Distance between our eyes
Distance between companions
May all the distances vanish
Why someone is close
Why someone is far
Nobody knows…

Am I moving closer or apart?
I don’t know where I am
There was a time
You were with me even on empty streets
Sometimes, even after meeting you, my heart was not content
Sometimes, just like now, this also happened
That I met you in everyone
This distance makes me closer to you
The distance is suffering
Distance is longing
May all the distances vanish…

Didn’t I tell you?
Without you, I don’t want to live
Even unknowingly, I don’t want any distance from you
Only the distance remains
It tells and echoes
That our Love blossom
This distance between us should vanish
Distance feels strange
Distance should be gone
May all the distances vanish…
Lyrics by Irshad Kamil

This is a bitter sweet song about love and all its complications; especially of the long distance kind. It is from a beautiful movie of the same name, and it makes me wistful whenever I hear it… I’ve added the translated lyrics for your enjoyment. Have a blessed weekend you all! What are your thoughts? Do you have songs that make you stop and smile? What music calls you tonight? What songs are on your current playlist that you repeat again and again? Do share! Thank you. 😉

Positive Motivation Tip: Music is the bridge we cross from sadness to joy and all the places in between… embrace it!

I am a big Etta James fan, and she will definitely be missed. I love music and listen all day long, so I run through dozens of playlists. I am in a Beatles listening mode right now because we are planning a trip to Vegas to see LOVE, the Beatles Cirque du Soleil. I’m preparing. This week I’ve also been listening to Van Morrison, and love the song “Someone Like You.” But then I switch to the Gypsy Kings…so I’m all over the place, but it always lifts my spirits! Debra

What a great post Elizabeth. Where do I begin? I should note that we must be on the same page at this very moment. I just posted my “Music For Backgrounds 03: Brian Eno – Discreet Music. Thinking music are we 🙂 I love all the selections you have made for this post. I will give a listen to all of it in the morning. But for now Etta, and Ella are two of the greatest singers of our time. And Midnight in Paris was one of my favorite movies of the year. You should check out Marion Cotilard in her portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose. It is a remarkable performance and a favorite film of mine. I think I may have to do a movie review of the film for my Weekly Movie Making Moments In Film. Take care and have a great weekend.

If music be the food of love, then let it play on.. Al Green’s ‘Let’s stay together’ always puts a smile on my face…I consider it a perfect song..arrangement, lyrics, everything. Another big favorite is ‘Quando quando quando’..I’ve got Michael Buble’s version on frequent replay now.. Music of the 80’s, as well as some from the 70’s and 60’s make me feel nostalgic too.. Nice post Liz!

Music is the speech of angel…a food that burns the soul’s innermost passion .Your words alone flowed so melodiously , and accompanied by the artist’s soothing voice…my heart just kept smiling…and smiling…and smiling some more. Take care my friend.

I love Etta James and was sorry to hear of her passing. Her real blues albums are my favorites. Dinah Washington was another blues singer who was homogenized by short sighted agents and managers. Both of these brilliant divas were true gems.
Thanks for the post!
b

I “grew up” with Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. I grew up knowing the words to their lyrics and still do today. They sang with such passion that I find lacking in many singers today. Perhaps that’s a harsh comment, but the singers today can’t compare to the divas of old.

The two Lady E’s, Etta and Ella! I grew up and romanced to these two lady’s croonings, cooings, cryings, and liltings. Plato must have fore-known them whe he said.”“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” I’ll Fly Away, Sweet Jesus” is what I felt when I first read of Etta’s passing to that great home in the sky!

I listen to all kinds of music (except heavy metal!!) and it soothes the soul. Not only soothes, but lightens. By the way, I am glad you included the marvelous Jamaican guitarist Ernie Ranglin among your videos. He is also the most unpretentious man you could ever meet, with all that music at his fingertips!

All great music in this compilation. Etta was a talented performer and her light will continue to shine. RIP. The Yeh Dooriyah song is hauntingly beautiful and sad. Ella and Ernest add to the joy of this post. 🙂
B

I guess I’m going to have to watch Midnight in Paris. Music has a very large presence in our home. Cannot imagine being without it. If you like Cole Porter, then you must watch the movie “De-Lovely”. Great soundtrack of Cole Porter songs.